Clean Noradzeer!
by HaveYouBeenAnAlumnus
Summary: Lief, Barda and Jasmine weren't the first to escape the city of Noradz. But how do you survive in an unclean world if all you ever knew in life is cleanliness? And if that's not enough, try finding out more about a stranger while being chased by Ra-Kacharz and Grey Guards at the same time... (NOT abandoned)
1. In a place like Noradz

**Author's note** : So, this is my first Deltora Quest fanfic. I've always been a huge fan of both the books and the anime. Well, not always, of course, but… Why do I waste so much time explaining obvious things?

It's been a while since I read the books, so sorry if I mention things that are only from the anime.

I decided to do something with Noradz, because that part always fascinated me, and I love to say "Clean Noradzeer!" before I eat cleansed food, even though people give me weird looks when I do that.

 **Warning** : This fic will "Clean Noradzeer" the blisters out of you even more than episode 9 of the anime.

 **Disclaimer:** Emily Rodda owns Deltora and all its characters. I don't.

 **Time** : About the same time as the start of Lief's adventure.

 **Place** : Noradz (duh)

oo0O0oo

 **Chapter I: In a place like Noradz**

oo0O0oo

"Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

"Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

First Ra-Kachar Reece inspected us carefully one last time, and finally raised his hand. "You are free to go. However, if you leave the sleeping quarters during the curfew, you are unclean and will therefore be severely punished! Clean Noradzeer!"

We gave one last "Clean Noradzeer" and went to our separate rooms while Reece walked out of the sleeping quarters, dragging his red leather whip with him. I reached the door of my room and fumbled with the bolt, trying to open it, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Robin?"

I turned around and saw Tira standing behind me, with her arms behind her back. "Oh, hi Tira," I said, greeting the younger girl. "Shouldn't you get to your room? The bell will ring in a few minutes."

"I know," she answered. "I just wanted to say hi one last time."

I smiled. "Did you have fun today?" I asked, trying to hide the sarcasm in my question. Fun wasn't exactly something you could find in a place like Noradz.

"Well, only seven of my cakes were unclean, so I guess today was a good day," she answered with a smile. The sound of a bell wiped it off her face again. "I'd better get to my room now," she said, turning around. "Have a good night!"

I turned back to my door and finally managed to open the tight bolt. I entered my room and took off my black hat. There were no mirrors in the rooms, but the daily cleaning caused the floor to be one giant reflective surface. I inspected my shaven head, seeing my hair was growing again. I would have to be shaven again shortly, because hair is not exactly something you're allowed to have in a place like Noradz.

My mind trailed off towards Tira. For as long as I remembered, I had been the only friend she ever had. That was mainly because friendship wasn't exactly something you could find in a place like Noradz. The minutes before the curfew was rung were the only minutes people could freely talk to each other, and even then we still had to watch our mouths. She was also the only friend I had now, because my ancient roommate Borin (rooms always contained two servants) had been locked up in the dungeons after stealing food for almost three months now. I had no idea if he would ever be released, or if he was still alive in the first place.

I took off my boots and black uniform and laid them on Borin's unused bed. I always wondered how our names were given. I thought it was a bit suspicious how I shared a room with someone from my age with the same letters in his name. Similarly, Tira shared her room with a girl from her age named Rita. It could just be a coincidence.

Laying back on my bed, I thought about today. I had roasted meat in the ovens. Washed pans. Cleansed the floors of the eastern corridor. Brought bowls of vegetables to the inspection room, before bringing the unclean bowls to the cart that went into the Hole. Just the usual stuff. The daily routines.

Once again, I wondered what was out there. The world from where we had a rare visitor from time to time. A curious traveler, or someone who lost his sense of direction in the endless plains. Most of the time, they were sent away or locked up. If I had to believe the Ra-Kacharz, the outside world was evil. And unclean. We would get sick as soon as we touched anything, or even breathed the air.

The problem was, I didn't believe them.

The travelers seemed to survive better out there than in our city. They sometimes brought an animal with them, but the animals seemed to be their friends, not a weapon to destroy us. But they would all be sentenced to death if they brought such a monster in here.

I tried to stop my mind, or I would never sleep. Tomorrow, I would have to work again.

As I slowly drifted into sleep, one last thought crossed my mind.

 _Clean Noradzeer_.

oo0O0oo

Baking.

Washing.

Boiling.

Cleansing.

All day long.

Every day.

It can be no surprise it is nice to have something different once in a while. That is why it was almost a relief to see the man lying on the marble floor of the entrance hall. They found him in the late morning, unconscious at the gates. I watched as a team did a first quick cleansing. He wore a blue cloak over a brown tunic, and his shoulder-length, dark brown hair hid his face. I saw blood on his left leg and on the back of his head, clotted in his hair. He had several talismans hanging around his neck, and a dagger in a blue and silver sheath on his leather belt.

"One more time," Reece commanded. "Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer," the cleansing team repeated as they sprayed another dose of purifying aerosol over the stranger. They waited for another minute, until the man suddenly coughed. He slowly raised his head and coughed again. I could now see his face. He had a short beard and a cut in his cheek, under his right eye, but it seemed to have stopped bleeding already. His dark eyes stopped on each of our faces as he slowly looked around the room. Finally, his gaze met Reece's.

"Greetings, stranger," Reece welcomed him.

"Where am I?" he asked as he raised his hand to his head.

"You are in Noradz. Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer," I repeated with the rest, touching my right shoulder and making the traditional swiping movement.

"I am Reece, first Ra-Kachar of the nine. We are the keepers of peace and cleanliness in this city. Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

"Who are you, stranger, and why did you come to our city, since you did not know where you are?"

"I am Alstred of the Mere tribe. I was travelling from Rithmere to Broome when I was ambushed by a gang of brigands. I managed to put up quite a fight, but I was knocked unconscious and fell into the River Broad. I don't know how, but I must have floated down the river. I vaguely remember crawling out of the water… I must have walked to your gates with my last strength."

Reece stayed silent for a while, before raising his hand. "Visitors are not welcome here, but since you are wounded we shall offer you food and shelter until your wounds are healed and you can continue your journey. Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

"I thank you for your hospitality, sir Reece," Alstred thanked, "but I would wish to continue my journey as soon as my wounds are taken care of. They will heal quickly, my leg will be the main problem." With that, he looked down at his leg, which seemed to have a rather deep wound above the knee.

"As you wish, Alstred of Rithmere. But first, you will have to be cleansed thoroughly. The water of the River Broad is full of dangers. Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

oo0O0oo

"Well, I certainly feel _clean Noradzeer_ now."

I walked towards Alstred as he came out of the room he had been in for almost an hour. His wounds had been treated and cleansed, as well as the rest of his body. His hair was visibly cleaner. His tunic had been washed too, and I handed him over his belt with his dagger, which was now as reflective as a mirror.

"Thank you," he said as he attached the belt around his waist. "Where are my lucky charms?"

"Here," I said as I handed him the five ornaments. He put them on one by one.

"Ah, I feel much better now. Much safer."

"What are they for?" I asked curiously.

"These protect me against hunger and thirst," he said as he showed a silver cup and a copper bread, "This makes sure I don't run out of money," he added as he showed a copper coin, and then a small dagger: "This one protects me against robbers, but he doesn't seem to work that well," he said with a small grin, "And I will need this one, because it will help my wounds heal faster," he concluded as he showed me a silver star. "Everyone in Rithmere wears these. The Mere are very superstitious."

"Master Reece has invited you for a meal," I said. "Shall I bring you to the dining room?"

"Yes, thank you," he answered. "I'm rather hungry, actually."

As we walked through the shiny corridors (slowly, because he was limping due to his wounded leg), I decided to ask him a question. "What is your journey?"

"Oh, I'm just traveling to Broome, nothing special. I first planned to travel by the river, but I decided to take the Mountain Road instead, so I could pass through Charity and Purley on the way. While I was traveling through the deserted Happy Vale, I was attacked by those brigands. I tried to flee, but they caught me at the bridge over River Broad. And then… I was lucky to have this," he said as he showed me his belt buckle, shaped like two fish in a circle. "Protects me from drowning."

We reached a large double door. Reece and the other eight Ra-Kacharz were standing in front of it. "Before we can begin eating, we must perform the hand cleansing ceremony! Clean Noradzeer!"

After the usual scrubbing and scrubbing, the door was opened and everyone entered the dining room. Reece and the other eight Ra-Kacharz went to stand around a long table, and several servants were waiting on the sides of the room. As I took my place amongst them, I repeated Alstred's words in my head. _Rithmere. Mountain Road. Broome. Charity. Purley. Happy Vale._ I tried to place them in my psychological map of Deltora. I always listened to the travelers that came to our city and used their information to piece a map of our land together in my head. Not that I thought I would ever need it, it was just nice to know something about the world around you.

From what I had heard, our land was surrounded by seas in the west, east and south. In the north, there was a line of mountains. Noradz was located close to a river, the River Broad. That river crossed the plains of our territory, and met another river in the west. Just south of Noradz, there was a town called Miller's Rise. Rithmere was located in the west. Broome in the east. Del in the southeast. And now I could add Charity, Happy Vale and Purley on my map. These were apparently in the north, since they were located along the Mountain Road. Alstred said Happy Vale was deserted. It was also clear that it was located before Broad River. But I had no idea where Charity and Purley were along the road.

"Clean Noradzeer!" Reece said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Clean Noradzeer," we repeated once again.

Reece made a small movement with his hand and the other eight Ra-Kacharz stepped forward, closer to the table. Alstred hesitated for a while, but eventually took place at the opposite side of Reece. He looked around, as if he was wondering why there were no chairs and why the table was the height of his shoulders.

"This food has been prepared and cleansed," Reece spoke, "So it must be eaten within the hour. Please eat. Clean Noradzeer."

"Clean Noradzeer," we said, and we started to serve the food.

"Thank you," Alstred said as I placed a basket of bread and a plate with slices of cold meat at his side of the table. I didn't know how to respond, because I had never been thanked for serving food before, so I panicked and made a small bow. I hit my head against a bowl of sweet plums that was about to be placed on the table. The servant who carried the plate watched in horror as one of the plums rolled over the edge of the bowl and plummeted towards the ground. I panicked: I knew the punishment for spilling food, but I was surprised when the plum landed in a hand.

"Watch out, nearly dropped something there," Alstred said as he held up the plum. I looked around to see if the Ra-Kacharz had noticed anything, only to see all nine of them looking at us. Alstred looked back at them in confusion, not understanding the wide-eyed looks in our direction.

Reece snapped his fingers and the eight came to him. They whispered to each other, and glared back at us several times in the process. Finally, they parted again and Reece spoke: "We are grateful, stranger, that you have prevented the food from being spilled and letting evil fall upon our city. However, the offender must still be punished! Clean Noradzeer!" He pointed at me, and two Ra-Kacharz made their way to where I was still standing. They took my shoulders and guided me towards Reece. "What is your name, unclean one?" he asked.

"Robin, master Reece."

"Robin, you are unclean! You are guilty of acts against the peace and cleanliness of Noradz!"

"Guilty! Guilty!" the other eight repeated.

"The evil must be undone! You shall be punished with twenty lashes of the whip!"

"What? But the food didn't even touch the ground!" Alstred shouted.

Reece glared at him. "Watch your unclean tongue, stranger. I already lowered the punishment from fifty to twenty. Take him to the punishing room!"

Alstred stared at me in disbelief as I was taken away by two Ra-Kacharz, followed by Reece. "But how is that fair?" he asked.

 _Fair,_ I thought as the doors closed behind us. _Not exactly something you will find in a place like Noradz._

oo0O0oo

 **A/N:** So this first chapter is really long (I usually write chapters of about 1,4K words on other stories), but I thought I would make longer chapters with this story.

In case you're wondering, Robin is about sixteen years old (because that seems to be the perfect age for heroes in Deltora Quest).

Anyway, let me know what you thought, it would be very much appreciated!


	2. Deadly Disease

**A/N:** Many thanks to ShareneM for the positive review, I hope you are reading this. Sorry it took me a while to update, but I have so many stories to update. (It actually took me five months to update my story 'Jellicle Titans', so it could be worse.)

This is not the last you've seen from me in this fandom. I'll probably be uploading a one-chapter story shortly.

oo0O0oo

 **Chapter II: Deadly Disease**

oo0O0oo

I stroked my back as I remembered the pain. My back was swollen and as red as the whip that had caused the pain. I clenched my jaws together as I placed a wet piece of cloth against it to ease the pain. With a sigh, I dropped onto my bed. When I had gotten out of the punishing room, the meal was already over and the dining room was empty. I didn't get to thank the man who had prevented me from getting the full punishment of fifty lashes. I also didn't get the chance to talk to Tira. She was probably very worried right now.

I wiggled my body back into my black uniform, trying to touch my back as little as possible. I had to get back to the kitchen for the next baking shift, the last one for today. As I walked through the clean hallways, I spotted a heavy door. The door that lead to the guest room Alstred would be sleeping in tonight. Was it really only this morning they had found him?

As I placed a plate of freshly baked bread on the inspection table, I saw the supervising Ra-Kachar give me a stern look. They were keeping an eye on me, that was clear.

Three of the four plates I made were not clean enough. They were taken away to be disposed of in The Hole.

After having a hand-washing ceremony, we were free to go. I decided to go to Alstred and thank him for saving me. I went to the wooden door and knocked.

"Come in," I heard.

I opened the door and walked in with a pitcher containing some sort of beverage. "I was wondering if you would like a beverage," I said, holding up the drink.

"No thanks," he said with a smile.

"I… I also wanted to thank you."

"You don't have to. I just didn't want any food to be wasted, but I didn't know they were that strict around here. You know, in Rithmere we believe spilling food brings you bad luck, but it doesn't give you a physical punishment. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I deserved it."

"What? No, you didn't! You _almost_ dropped something!"

"But… I could have let evil fall upon the entire city!"

"Really? Letting food fall on the ground causes evil forces to come? Do you actually believe that?"

I didn't answer, because I didn't know the answer. Did I believe it? What else was I supposed to believe? "The Ra-Kacharz know what is best for us. They only want Noradz to be a clean and safe place to live."

"Of course they do." He sighed and sat down on his bed. He rubbed the underside of his nose with the back of his hand. "No offense, but I hope I can leave your city tomorrow or the day after."

"Of course, if your wounds are healed."

"I'm starting to feel better," he said, after which he made a sniffing sound and stroked his nose again.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, why?" he asked, as he repeated the wiping motion.

"Is… is something wrong with your nose?" I asked, worried.

"Huh? No, no. It's just…", sniff, "I think I might have caught a cold from floating in that river." Sniff.

"How can one catch the cold?" I asked, confused. "Can you also catch warmth?"

He laughed. "No, it's an expression. It means I'm a bit sick."

"Sick?" I asked, taking a step back.

He looked at me. My hand started shaking, and the orange beverage almost spilled over the top of the pitcher. He reached out to stop my hand, but I abruptly pulled back. The fluid spilled over the side and dripped down my hand, onto the floor.

"Oh no," he said, "I hope you're not in trouble again." Sniff. Sniff.

I didn't even mind the spilled drink. I grabbed behind my back with my free hand, trying to find the doorknob. It was then he realized why I was acting so strange.

"Oh no," he said with a look at his hand, "This is a problem, isn't it?" Sniff. Sniff.

My hand found the doorknob, and I pulled open the door. "Wait!" he said.

I stopped and looked back. His hand was stretched out and there was a begging look in his eyes. "Don't… Don't tell Reece!" Sniff. "I…" Sniff. "I can…" Sniff sniff sniff. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. He opened his mouth. I tried to hide behind the door, but one hand was still on the doorknob. I heard a strange noise coming from Alstred and I felt something on my hand. I immediately pulled it back.

There were small drops on my hand. I grabbed my wrist with my other hand. He had sneezed.

He sneezed.

And it had touched me.

I turned around as fast as I could and started to run away. I heard him screaming my name in the background, but all the sounds were fading as I could only think of one thing. I had to cleanse myself as fast as possible.

I saw a hand-washing chamber. I stumbled inside and fell to my knees in front of one of the bowls. I pressed a button and the bowl filled with water. I plunged both hands into the cold water and rubbed them together as hard as I could. I tried to take a bottle of soap on the left side of the bowl, but it slipped out of my hand and fell into the water. I scrubbed and scrubbed my palms. Foam was forming on the surface of the water. I scrubbed and scrubbed between my fingers. I felt dizzy. I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. I tried to stand up, but I was too dizzy and almost fell. I grabbed onto the bowl to avoid falling, and the bowl tilted so far that the soapy water gushed onto the floor. I slipped. I fell. Everything turned black.

oo0O0oo

Sneezing is one of the most unclean things in the world. That was one of the first rules we learnt. Someone who sneezes is unclean, and nobody should touch them. If someone sneezes while you are in an area of ten feet around them, you should be cleansed thoroughly. If not, you could get infected.

Two hours.

Two hours, that's how long it took to cleanse me. Two hours of soap, water, sprays and sponges.

When I finally got out of the cleansing room, Tira was waiting for me. She gasped when she saw me.

"Robin, are you okay?"

"Yes, Tira, I'm fine," I said as I hugged her. "I am completely clean."

"I… I saw them take the stranger to the trial room. Do you think he will be punished?"

"I don't know," I said, hiding the concern in my voice. If there had been a trial, he would probably either be killed or spend the rest of his days in the dungeons. And it would be my fault. He saved me, and now he would be locked up because of me.

I saw Reece and the other eight Ra-Kacharz passing, on their way to their private quarters. I rushed towards them, and they stopped when they saw me.

"Clean Noradzeer, master Reece," I said, greeting the First Ra-Kachar.

"Clean Noradzeer," he repeated.

"Clean Noradzeer!" the other eight repeated after him.

"Clean Noradzeer," I said once again.

"Speak," Reece finally said.

"What happened to the guest?"

"He is no longer our guest. He is now our prisoner. The Nine have decided that he is a threat to the safety and the health of our people, so he has been locked away in our dungeons. Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer," I said again. "But will he ever be released?"

"He has been infected by evil, unclean forces. We cannot risk letting him out. Once evil falls upon someone, it cannot be undone."

"But if nobody gives him medicine, he might die!"

"Guard your tongue! You should be glad we didn't lock you up for all the unclean things that happened around you this day! Now, it is time you go to your sleeping quarters! Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer."

oo0O0oo

Two days passed. Two days of bad feelings. Rue, guilt… He was rotting away in that dungeon, even though he didn't do anything wrong. I had panicked when he sneezed, and didn't think about it then, but now…

I don't know what it was that made me leave my room during the third night, but as I slowly opened my door, trying to make as little noise as possible, I realized that this was against every law the Ra-Kacharz had ever made. If I was caught now, I would be eliminated almost certainly.

I was _very_ unclean.

I passed Tira's room. As I passed the few lit candles, my long shadow moved back and forth. At the end of the corridor, I reached the door that lead to a marble staircase, which went down into the main hall. I peeked my head around the half-open door, looking if there were any Ra-Kacharz around. I saw no one, but I waited, remembering the things my ex-roommate once told me after one of his nightly trips. _A Ra-Kachar comes in through the northern door, and then disappears through the southern gate. Five minutes later, another one goes from the eastern door to the northwestern door. About fifteen minutes pass, and the process repeats._ I hoped the information was reliable. After all, his nocturnal trips ended up getting him locked away.

I stayed still for a few minutes, until I saw a Ra-Kachar coming through one of the doors. I thought it was the eastern one, which was good: after this, I would have approximately fifteen minutes before another one passed here. The Ra-Kachar crossed the shiny white floor, and I ducked away behind the door to avoid being seen. I looked through the keyhole, and saw the Ra-Kachar standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up. He stood there for a while, before he started to climb the stairs.

Not good.

I searched a place to hide. My room was on the other end of the corridor, I wouldn't be able to reach it before the Ra-Kachar came in, and there were no tables or niches to hide. I decided to stay right where I was. That way, when he would open the door, I would be behind it, and as long as he didn't close it, he wouldn't see me.

As I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath, I heard the Ra-Kachar's footsteps come closer. They stopped right before the door. I waited. The handle of the door moved… He pulled the door, shutting it. As I heard the footsteps fade away, I heard a voice mutter: "Who always leaves those stupid things open anyway…"

When I was certain he was at the bottom of the stairs again, I finally let out my breath. I kneeled down to look through the keyhole just in time to see the Ra-Kachar leave through the door on the northwest.

About a minute after the Ra-Kachar disappeared, I opened the door. As silently as I could, I closed it behind me and climbed down the stairs. _Dungeons_ , I thought to myself while I was standing in the middle of the hall, in plain sight of whoever would come in. _Dungeons_. I thought I remembered the dungeons to be in the east of the city, so I took the eastern door. I followed a long corridor for a solid five minutes. I was careful not to make any noise. Suddenly, I spotted a spiral staircase on my left side that went down into the darkness. Assuming those uninviting shadows were the dungeons, I took a lantern from the wall and made my way down. I became more cautious, because I highly doubted the dungeons were left unguarded.

I reached the bottom of the stairs. I was in a narrow, but long room, but not quite a corridor either. The only light came from my lantern and a lonely candle on a table in front of me. Apart from the candle, there were only a half-eaten piece of bread, an empty bottle and a bunch of keys on the table. The room was barely broad enough for the table to stand there, and you could only pass it on one side. Behind the table, there was a chair, placed so that whoever sat in it would see everyone who came down the stairs. A bit further, I saw a heavy wooden door on the right wall.

This was too easy.

Those words barely crossed my mind before I heard a noise on the far end across the long room. In the semi-darkness, I could just make out an iron door. Someone was on the other side.

In a wave of panic, I opened the lid of my lantern and blew out the flame. After that, I leaned forward and blew out the candle on the table too. I was now standing in pitch darkness, and I heard the iron door open. A vague light came from the room behind it, and in the door opening I saw the silhouette of yet another Ra-Kachar. Upon seeing the darkness of the room, he sighed and turned around.

"Great, burnt out already…"

He disappeared back into the other room, leaving the door open, so there was just enough light for me to see what I was doing. I grabbed the keys off the table and hurried towards the main door. I tried a random key and tried to unlock the door. It didn't work. While I tried a second key, I suddenly heard a loud 'hey!'.

The Ra-Kachar was back, holding an unopened bottle and a freshly lit candle. He stared at me, while I was standing there with one of the keys still in the keyhole. I tried to think of any good excuses, without success.

"Just what do you think you're do- oomph!" The Ra-Kachar fell to the ground. The bottle and the candle dropped, and it became dark again.

Whoops.

I walked into the direction of the dimly lit chamber, almost tripping over the Ra-Kachar on the ground. As I stepped into the light, I inspected my lantern and the rather large dent in the metal.

I was in serious trouble now.

I entered the room behind the iron door. It was larger than I thought it would be, but most of the space was taken by all kinds of objects. Weapons. Clothes. Flasks. Backpacks. Pieces of armor.

The belongings of all the prisoners that had been in these dungeons.

The light in the room came from a lantern on a shelf. On the shelf were several unlit candles. On the floor underneath the shelf, there was a box with several sorts of food and drinks for the guard. I took a look at the piles of items. My stare met a blue cloak. I picked it up, and underneath it were a dagger in a blue and silver sheath and several pendants.

After picking up all of Alstred's stuff and taking the undamaged lantern, I went back to the other room. The key was still in the keyhole. I turned it, and I heard the lock open. I pushed against the heavy wooden door and it slowly swung open.

I saw a long hall with doors at both sides. The doors were made of thick wood and each had a small iron grid at eye-level. The air was thick and smelly, and it was freezing cold. About every three doors, a torch hang on the wall, making the entire hall dimly lit.

I walked to the closest door and looked through the iron bars. The cell seemed empty. I moved on to the next door. Also empty. The third cell contained a human-sized pile lying on the floor, covered with a dirty brown cloth. It didn't move and didn't make any sound. I quickly moved on.

After two more empty cells, I came across one with a figure lying on the bed with their back towards me. The person on the bed grunted and slowly turned over. I could now see his face, but it was not Alstred. His dried-out lips parted as he stared at me in disbelief.

"Robin? Is that you?"


	3. Trial

**Chapter III: Trial**

oo0O0oo

"Borin?" I asked in disbelief as I stared into the dark cell. "I that you in there?" I only heard a soft grunt in response. I quickly took the bunch of keys I had stolen from the Ra-Kachar and opened the door. I ran inside and kneeled down next to the bed.

My ex-roommate stared at my face for a while, before slowly opening his mouth and whispering: "You got any food?"

I nodded and quickly stood up to run back to the room with all the confiscated items. I took some bread out of the box I had seen, and while running back just made sure the Ra-Kachar was still unconscious.

I brought the bread to his mouth and he started to eat. After swallowing, he coughed and muttered: "Some water would be nice too." I went after some water, and after he drank, he tried to sit up. "And if you would get me out of here, it would be appreciated as well."

I grinned. "I come to rescue you, and you're already commanding me? 'Thank you' would have been nice as well, you know." He hadn't changed one bit. He had always been of the rebellious type. It was actually a miracle he had managed to stay out of the dungeons for sixteen years.

I put his arm around my shoulder and helped him stand up. His legs were weak, and he had to hold on tight if he didn't want to end up on the dirty floor. Come to think of it, the dungeon floor might have been the only dirty floor in all of Noradz.

As we slowly left the cell, I turned my head toward him and said: "It's nice to see you again after all that time."

"Yeah. Wait, how long has it been?"

I counted in my head. "How long do you think it has been?" I replied when I lost count at three months.

He frowned. "If I think of how long it _felt_ , it should have been more than two years. But judging by the amount of food I received, it can't have been longer than one week."

I felt bad for him at the thought of how little food he ate in more than three months. "Yeah, it was about two, three weeks," I said in a calming tone.

When out of the cell, I turned right. "Wait, what?" Borin asked. "Isn't the exit that way?"

"Look, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I didn't come here for you."

"Good. Because if you did, I would have wondered what took you so long."

"Again, you can thank me whenever you're ready," I said. "But I have to go free another prisoner."

"And how were you planning to explain my sudden freedom?"

"I didn't plan anything, I didn't even know you were still alive. But for the other prisoner, I had planned to get him out of the city."

"And how did you plan to do _that_?"

"I don't know, okay? Aren't you the expert of sneaking around in this city?"

A silence fell as we continued moving deeper into the dungeons. "Look, it's fine if you want to go and free whoever they locked up in there, but I'm really tired from doing nothing for three weeks, so could I just stay behind and… cover you?" he said in a tired voice, breaking the silence.

"Fine," I said as I slowly placed him down against the wall. "Wait here."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

I continued my way through the dungeons, quietly shouting Alstred's name from time to time. None of the cells seemed to contain a prisoner, let alone one that was alive and conscious.

About twenty cells after I left Borin, I suddenly heard a soft response. I looked around, and suddenly saw Alstred's face behind one of the iron grids. "What are you doing in here? What if they catch you?"

"I'm here to rescue you," I said as I grabbed the keys and started to unlock the door. "They were going to keep you in here forever, until you starved to your death. It's my fault you got in here in the first place so…"

"How are you going to get me out of the city?"

I ignored his question as I opened the door and cocked my head to the door at the end of the seemingly endless dungeon. "Come with me."

He followed me as I walked back to the exit. Halfway, we came across Borin, who was still lying where I left him.

"Who is that?" my two companions simultaneously asked.

"Alstred, my roommate Borin, Borin, Alstred." I picked up my friend and placed his arm around my neck as I guided the now free prisoners to the door. "I don't exactly know how the two of you can escape the city," I said as I reached out to the doorknob of the heavy oak door that went back to the narrow guard room, "But there is this place called the Hole…" I explained as I opened the door, after which I abruptly stopped.

I was staring right at the red mask of First Ra-Kachar Reece.

I instinctively took a step back, to which he responded by taking a step forward. He grinned as about three other Ra-Kacharz came up from behind him, their whips in their hands.

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked threateningly. "Do you not know you are not supposed to leave your sleeping quarters during the night?" He grabbed his whip and rolled part of it around his hand. "And by the looks of it, there are plenty of other unclean things you are guilty of," he added with a look at my companions.

"Guilty! Guilty!" the Ra-Kacharz emphasized.

"We will have trial at dawn! Clean Noradzeer!"

"Clean Noradzeer!"

oo0O0oo

It was not the first trial I had witnessed, but it was the first one where I was on this side. I was standing in the middle of the room, Alstred behind me, sustaining Borin, who was still very weakened. In front of me, the Nine were seated, Reece in the middle. The large fire in the room cast an orange glow over their red uniforms.

Amongst the crowd that was spectating from the sides, I spotted Tira. She looked scared and worried. I couldn't blame her. Most of the people who had stood here before me, were never seen again.

The sound of a gong echoed through the trial room.

"Borin of Noradz and Alstred of Rithmere," Reece spoke, "You have been found guilty of attempting to escape the dungeons without permission. Therefore you shall be punished. Clean Noradzeer."

"Clean Noradzeer!"

The gong was heard again.

"Robin of Noradz, you have been found guilty of breaking the curfew laws, helping prisoners escape and committing violent acts against a Ra-Kachar. Therefore you shall be punished. Clean Noradzeer."

"Clean Noradzeer!"

"Since you have lead them to break the laws of cleanliness, you shall decide over your fate. The Sacred Cup shall speak."

Oh no. Not the Sacred Cup.

A man in a black uniform brought forth the shining cup and placed it in front of Reece, who showed two cards. One of them had **LIFE** written on it, the other **DEATH**. I gulped.

"You will choose a card from the cup, and that shall be your fate. Clean Noradzeer."

"Clean Noradzeer."

Reece lowered his hands to place the cards in the cup. At the very last moment, I could've sworn I saw suspicious movement on the **LIFE** side.

"Unclean one, step forth and choose a card from the cup."

My heart was racing as I followed his orders. As I lowered my hand into the cup and I could feel the two cards on the bottom, I looked back at the two who had just lost their short-lived freedom again. I shouldn't have gotten them into this.

I closed my hand around one of the cards. I closed my eyes and slowly retrieved the card that would decide about my life from the Sacred Cup.

"Show us the card you have drawn."

I opened one eye to look at my card, and my heart skipped a beat.

 **DEATH**.


End file.
